powerpoint_ch11.pptx

Chapter 11 Gender and Sexual Orientation Gender-Based Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination  Gender Belief System: • Set of beliefs about men and women • The traits and roles they should possess • Perceptions of role violators  Both descriptive and prescriptive  Conveyed through media, pa...

Chapter 11 Gender and Sexual Orientation Gender-Based Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination  Gender Belief System: • Set of beliefs about men and women • The traits and roles they should possess • Perceptions of role violators  Both descriptive and prescriptive  Conveyed through media, parents, and peers Gender-Based Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination  Gender Belief System: • Learning begins early and continues throughout life • Encompasses stereotype content, attitudes toward roles for men and women, and perceptions of those who violate expectations Gender Stereotypes  Most fundamental aspect of gender belief system  Two constellations of traits: • Agentic – competence cluster that represent men’s traits  E.g., independent, strong, and self-confident • Communal – warmth-expressive cluster that represents women’s traits  E.g., emotional, helpful, and kind Gender Stereotypes  Gender stereotypes also include information about women’s and men’s: • • • • Roles Physical characteristics Cognitive abilities Appropriate emotions Gender Stereotypes  Gender Polarization • People believe:  What is masculine is not feminine  What is feminine is not masculine • Person who is masculine (or feminine) on one trait is seen as masculine (or feminine) on other characteristics How Widespread Are GenderStereotypic Beliefs?  Gender-stereotypic traits are universal and stable  Research has found consistent results across: • Age • Geographic region • Time How Widespread Are GenderStereotypic Beliefs?  But little research has examined genderstereotypic beliefs by: • Social class • Ethnicity Accuracy of Gender-Associated Beliefs  Stereotypic beliefs generally mirror the characteristics that women and men describe as their own traits: • Accurate at the group level • But not necessarily at the individual level Accuracy of Gender-Associated Beliefs  People are fairly accurate at estimating size of gender differences: • Underestimate more than overestimate Change Over Time  The degree of agency associated with women and men has changed over time: • Women seen as having more agentic characteristics today than 20 years ago • People predict more change in future • Unchanged:  Women’s communal traits  Men’s agentic and communal traits “Women are Wonderful” Effect The basic category “woman” is viewed more positively than the basic category “man” Discrimination-Affection Paradox  Women are viewed positively but still experience discrimination  Gender-based prejudice is still widespread: • Affects women more negatively than men:  Example: wage gap Subtypes of Women and Men  Over 200 gender-associated subtypes have been identified: • Occupation, family roles, ideologies, physical features, and sexuality  People categorize subtypes by gender, then as traditional or modern, and finally by age Subtypes of Women and Men  When evaluating others, people distinguish between liking and respect  Roles occupied by the person being rated affect one’s ratings of being liked: • Housewives are liked • Businessmen are respected Attitudes toward Women’s Rights and Responsibilities  People today hold less traditional attitudes toward women’s rights  Modern sexism: • But indirectly express negative attitudes toward women in nontraditional roles Hostile and Benevolent Sexism  Dimensions of Modern Sexism • Hostile sexism – negative beliefs  Punishes nontraditional women • Benevolent sexism – more positive beliefs  Rewards traditional women Hostile and Benevolent Sexism  Benevolent sexist beliefs are affection part of the affectdiscrimination paradox  Hostile sexist beliefs are discrimination part Women in the Workplace The number of women in higher education and the workplace continues to increase • But many jobs remain gender segregated  Leads to sticky floor – traditionally female jobs do not offer many advancements  Women in professional jobs often reach the glass ceiling – an invisible barrier that prevents them from reaching the highest levels Women Navigate a Labyrinth The obstacles that women face have become more surmountable  Paths to the top exist  Some women find the paths to success: • Can be difficult to discover • Can be circuitous Role Congruity Theory  Two types of prejudice prevent women from pursuing high-level positions 1. Belief that women are less likely than men to be successful in leadership roles  Can prevent women from: – seeking high-level jobs – being selected for them when they do seek them 2. Higher probability of women receiving negative evaluations if in jobs Role Congruity Theory  Female leaders violate expectations about what: • Leaders should be like • Women should be like Women in Faculty Roles  Women in professional roles face a double bind  Perceptions of a faculty member are:  Similar to male gender role • Different from the female gender role Women in Faculty Roles  Women can and do meet the demands of the leadership role  But resolving the double bind is not easy: • Being too similar to a man can actually work against a woman • She then violates the expectations of her own gender role Consequences for Girl’s and Women’s Career Choices  Being in settings that produce stereotype threat  Expectations about roles with certain jobs can affect career paths: • STEM careers are seen as agentic • Women want careers that require communal traits Improving Women’s Chances for Success  Expose girls to role models  Teach girls about gender-based occupational discrimination: • Higher self-confidence • Greater interest in pursuing science  Let women know they can speak out against gender bias The Male Gender Role  Hyper-masculinity: • Men are expected to be strong and tough • Not feminine  Negative consequences: • Low self-esteem • Drug use • Anti-gay prejudice Heterosexism and Sexual Prejudice  Sexual stigma (societal level): • Negative regard, inferior status, and relative powerlessness that society collectively accords to any nonheterosexual behavior, identity, relationship, or community  Sexual prejudice (personal level): • Negative attitudes based on sexual orientation Heterosexism and Sexual Prejudice  Sexual minorities are stigmatized: • Societal level through laws • Personal level through others’ antigay prejudice Stereotypes of Lesbians and Gay Men  Gay men seen to have feminine characteristics and  Lesbians seen to have masculine characteristics  Gay men are rated as more similar to heterosexual females than to heterosexual males: • Especially on physical characteristics and social roles  Lesbians are seen as more similar to heterosexual men than to heterosexual women Sexual Orientation Hypothesis Prediction that people are more likely to believe feminine men are gay than to believe masculine women are lesbians Ratings of Female Physical Characteristics by Target Gender and Target Sexual Orientation Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men  Public opinion of gay men and lesbians is rapidly changing: • Clear shift toward greater acceptance • Does not necessarily translate toward acceptance of gays and lesbians as individuals  People have different motives for holding heterosexist beliefs Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men  Individual differences influence attitudes  More accepting: • • • • • Younger Educated Female Less conservative Less authoritarian Gender Differences in Anti-Gay Prejudice  Heterosexual men have greater intolerance of homosexuals than do heterosexual women: • Men show a higher intolerance for gay men than for lesbians • Men and women held similar attitudes toward lesbians Sex Differences in Attitudes Toward Homosexuality by Person Being Rated + d: Men’s attitudes more negative Gender Differences in Anti-Gay Prejudice  Men hold more negative attitudes toward homosexual behavior than do women  People who endorse traditional gender roles are more likely to have negative attitudes toward homosexuality Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women  Heterosexism degrades any nonheterosexual behavior – including bisexuality: • Little research available  Common stereotypes: • Is transitory or curiosity rather than distinct sexual orientation  Bisexual people are gay but in denial and afraid to come out • Confused Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women  Research suggests that heterosexuals, gay men, and lesbians all hold negative attitudes toward bisexuality Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women  More accepting: • • • • • Younger Educated Female Less conservative Less authoritarian Heterosexism in the Workplace  An increasing number of organizations have antidiscrimination policies: • But significant numbers of gay men and lesbians report workplace discrimination Heterosexism in the Workplace  Revealing one’s sexual orientation is usually a choice: • Not disclosing means that even casual details about one’s intimate relationships must be kept secret • Part of heterosexual privilege • Disclosing a homosexual orientation leads to assumptions about personality and lifestyle Heterosexism in the Workplace  It is safer to self-disclose in some workplaces than in others  Factors that make a workplace less heterosexist: • Presence of other gay people • Gay-friendly policies • Place of employment in a location with anti-discrimination legislation Coming Out  Homosexuality is a concealable stigma  Some choose to pass as heterosexuals (at least sometimes): • Fear social rejection, loss of employment, or physical violence  The decision of how and when to disclose one’s homosexuality is not simple Prejudice Against Transgender People  Cisgender – people who are gender conforming and/or don’t identify as transgender  Individual differences variables that predict attitudes toward homosexuality also predict transphobia MIDTERM - October 16th in the class at 09:00am - Chapters: 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, & 12 - 50 Multiple choice questions - 90 minutes